Delivery for tobacco strippers



July 29, 1941. R. E. RUNDELL DELIVERY FOR'TOBACGO STRIPPERS Filed Nov.50, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

l INVENTOR @peri-Eg?? e/Z.

ATTOR N EY July 29, 1941. R. E. RUNDELL 2,250,502

DELIVERY FOR TOBACCO STRI-PPERS Filed Nov. 30, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 5FIGA F165 lNvENToR Rufen Ejundell.'

ATTORN EY July 29, 1941 R. E. RUNDELL 2,250,502

DELIVERY FOR TOBACCO STRIPP-ERS Filed Nov. 30, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVE ATTORNEY Patented July 29, 1941 DELIVERY FOR TOBACCO STRIPPERSRupert E. Rundell, Rockville Centre, N. Y., assignor to InternationalCigar Machinery Company, a, corporation of New Jersey ApplicationNovember 3o, 1937, serial No. 177,216

(o1. iai- 124) 24 Claims.

This invention relates to stemming and/cr stripping and booking oftobacco, more particularly to delivery mechanisms for stemming machines.The main object of the invention is to improve prior types of deliverymechanisms so that laying of the stemmed tobacco leaves in outspreadcondition may be assured. v To this end the stemmed leaves are deliveredbetween traveling endless belts which have opposed runs coacting to gripand advance the leaves, and having their delivery ends mounted onswinging members which cause the belts to swing to and fro whiledelivering the leaves on to a at surface. Y

A further object of the invention is to segregate unstemmed orincompletely stemmed leaves. For this purpose there may be employed arevolving brush or the like which transfers leaves from the stemmingmachine to the said belts and which may be controlled by a defectiveleaf detector so that it will be moved out of operative position at thetime an unstemmed or incompletely stemmed leaf reaches transferringposition.

Still another object is to provide a delivery mechanism wherein variouslengths of leaves may be handled and deposited in the desiredrelationship, upon merely advancing or retarding the swinging movementof the members over which the exit ends of the delivery belts areguided. Another objective is to deposit the stemmed leaves on atraveling screen in successively overlapping pairs having an end-to-endrelationship or in a single row thereon upon substitution of theappropriate change gear. The traversing crank-gear traversing theswinging members to and fro across the screen may be timed to reach thelimits of its throw while the tips of successive leaves are emergingfrom between the delivery belts, wherefore the leaves will be depositedin butt-to-butt relationship on the screen Upon relatively displacingthe crank-gear a quarterturn, the leaves will be laid tip-to-tip, whichis preferred. Substitution of the appropriate size of change gear fordriving the crank-gear will permit the leaves to be deposited in asingle overlapping row on a traveling screen, or in a booked, that is, astacked relationship on a stationary screen.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification andin which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the delivery mechanismin conjunction with the delivery end of a stemming machine;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the same shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View of a portion of the delivery mechanismshown in Fig. operating to advance a stemmed leaf; v

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the same, operating to eject anunstemmed or incompletely stemmed leaf; Y

Fig. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the operation of the deliverymechanism in laying leaves tip-to-tip on a traveling screen; v l

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a number of strippingmachines delivering the stemmed leaves in tip-to-tip relation ony tocreens placed on the conveyor belt;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the screens showing the delivery of asingle row of leaves thereon; l s

Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the screens showing the leaves placedin butt-to-butt relation thereon;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic side elevationof the stripping mechanism of astemming machine provided with members for advancing and transierringthe stemmed leaves to the delivery mechanism; and

Fig. 11 is a detail section of the gear wheel and solenoid-actuated pinsof the' detector device.

Referring to the drawings, the delivery mechanism illustrated may beused in conjunction with a stemming machine of the general type shown inPatent No 1,981,470, grantedr to R. E. Run-dell et al., November 20,1934. In the machine illustrated therein the stemmed leaves aredelivered tip first by driven belts HJ and Il (Figs. 1 and 3) whichcoact to grip and advancethe/leaves over a revolving brush l2 acting toguide themrto a pair of belts i3 and I4 coacting to grip and forward theleaves between them. The belts i3 and I pass over idler rollers l5 andIt, respectively, and travel in an upward direction over avdriving drumI7 and thence over a guideroller i8 directing them downwardly over idlerrollers I9 and 20 respectively. The belt.l3 is thence led upwardly overidler rollers 2l and 22 and back over a tightener roller 23 to theroller i5, and belt l@ is led upwardly and back over a tightener roller24 to roller '|6. u g

Rollers I5 and l5 are supported at their endsin bars 25 suspended fromside'frames 26 and 2l wherein are also supported the shaft 23 of drum l1and the rollers 2| and 22. Roller 23 is mounted on a cross shaft 29journaled in one end of bell-crank levers mounted on studs 3| carried bythe side frames. To the other end of levers 3G are connected springs 32anchored to posts 33 secured in the side frames which urge the roller 23into position to keep the belt I3 taut. Belt I4 is kept taut in alikemanner by means of springs 34 urging upwardly the arms 35 clamped topivot shafts 3E supported in side frames 26 and 21. Said frames aresupported by brackets 3'! carried by the inclined channel-bars 384 ofthe stemming machine and at their lower ends are/connect'ed by tiebars'39.

The rollers I9 and 20 of belts I3 and I4 are mounted in swinging arms 40and 4I carried on a shaft 42 journaled in the side frames 25 and 21. Theswinging motion of arms 49 and 4I is derived from gears 43 and 44, theformer being driven from the stemming machine by a sprocket chain (notshown) and driving gear 44 which is Y equipped with a crank pin 45engaging tre bearings 46 in one end of a connecting rod 41 whose otherend is pivoted on a wrist-pin 48 carried by the lever 49. At its upperend the lever 48 is clamped to a rocker-shaft i! which is supported inframes 26 and 21 and carries at its other end an arm 5|. A forked head52 fastened to the lower ends of arms 49 and 5I carries rods 53connected by eyes 54 to studs 55 of arms 40 and 4I. A plate 60 havingflanges 6| secured to the inner walls of arms 40 and 4| engages theinner loop of belt I4, and the longitudinal strips 62 carried bystraps63 secured to the inner faces of arms 40 and 4I engage the inner loop ofbelt I3, thus preventing sagging of the same and slipping of the leavescarried downwardly between said belts.

The swinging arms 4U and 4| sweep the exit ends of the belts I3 and I4from position 64 to position 65 indicated in dotted lines (Fig. 6) abovea screen 66 on which the leaves are to be delivered and serve to deliverthe leaves tip rst and lay them -in outspread condition in theparticular relationship desired. Laying the leaves in a tip-to-tiprelation is the prefer-red way and to obtain this result the radius ofthe crank pin 45 with respect to the center of gear 44 is sufficient toswing the arms 40 and 4I across the width of the screen andthe linearspeed of the belts I3 and I4 is such that the crank pin reaches aposition intermediate the limits of its throw while the tip of the leafis emerging from their exit ends. The particular gear ratio selected forgears 43 and 44 is 2 to 1, but any suitable ratio may be used. Thereforeduring the forward swing of the arms 49 and 4I the emerging tip end ofthe leaf will be laid on the screen slightly before it reaches thecenter of said screen, and `the continued forward movement of the arms49and 4| causes the leaf to be spread over the remainder of the screen. Onthe return stroke of arms 4I! and 4I, the succeeding leaf will be laidin the opposite direction with its tip end overlapping the tip of theleaf previously delivered on to the screen and the screen may becontinuously advanced to cause overlapping of successive pairs ofleaves.

To deliver the leaves in a butt-to-butt fashion, Fig. 9, the gear 44 isadjusted by disengaging the gear 431therefrom and turning gear 44 onequarter-turn and then reengaging the gear 43 therewith, so that thelaying of the leaf will 'be started with the tip end adjacent eitherside of the screen and continued until the butt end of the leaf Lextends across the center of the screen, the movement ofthe armsspreading the leaf over the screen. On the return stroke of the arms,the next leaf will be laid in the same manner, with its butt endoverlapping the previously laid leaf, and the screen may be advancedcontinuously to obtain the illustrated lateral overlapping of theleaves.

A number of machines A, B, C, etc., may be arranged as indicated in Fig.7, to lay the leaves in tip-to-tip relation as shown. or butt-to-butt orother desired relation, the delivery mechanism of each machinedelivering a different kind or grade of tobacco leaves on to the screens`6% which are advanced on an endless conveyor belt eight machines willbe required, five of which handle the rst kind of tobacco, two handlingthe second kind, and one the third kind. When the screens have passedall of the machines they arrive at the end of the conveyor and arelifted therefrom and transported to a drying chamber where the blendedtobacco is permitted to dry before being placed in a storage bin. Mycopending application, Serial No. 60,808, led January 25, 1936, whichissued as Patent No. 2,195,427 on April 2, 1940, has a continuation inpart in this application as to the blending.

To lay a single row of overlapping leaves as seen in Fig. 8, the gearing43-44 is replaced by a crank-gear having half the throw of gear 44 and apinion which will give a 1 to 1 ratio with the crank gear. Therefore aleaf will be fed only during the forward stroke of the arms and thereturn stroke will be completed without delivering a leaf. The screenwill be advanced at the appropriate speed to obtain the desiredoverlapping of the leaves. With a stationary screen the leaves will bedeposited in stacked or booked relationship.

If during the operation of the machine a leaf should reach the deliverymechanism unstemmed or only partially stemmed, a control mechanism ofthe general type disclosed in Patent No. 2,019,721, granted to P. M.Nejedly, dated November 5, 1935, will swing lever 10 (Fig. 3) andthrough its connections to the brush I2 move the same to its dottedposition 1I. This permits the leaf to be advanced away from the pick-upbelts I3 and I4 to the lowered position 1I of brush I2 and therebyrejected. Lever 19 is connected by a link 12 to a bell crank lever 13clamped on one protruding end of a cross shaft 14 supported in thebrackets 15 of the machine, the other end of shaft 14 carrying a crank16. Cranks 13 and 16 each carry eyes 11 connected by turn-buckles 18 toeyes 19 pivotally secured to arms 89'. The cross-shaft 8| on which thebrush I2 is mounted is supported in the ends of the arms which areloosely mounted on a sleeve 82 supported on a shaft 63 carried bybrackets 15.

Arms 84 attached to each end of a rod 85 carried by bracket 15 support across-shaft 86 on which is mounted a brush S1 arranged to engage belt IIand wipe oi any clinging leaves from the same. The brush 99 carried bybars 4!) and 46 (Fig. 1) and driven from the shaft of pulley I9 coactswith the belt I4 in the same manner. A sprocket 88 fixed on the shaft 95which is suitably driven from the stemming machine, drives a chain 89running over an idler sprocket 90 loosely mounted on the sleeve 82. Agear 9|, which may be integral with or fastened to sprocket 90, mesheswith a gear 92 attached to the brush shaft 8|. Bars 93 fastened to thebrackets 15 support each of the side frames 26 and 21, and are equippedwith cross members 94 which engage belts I3 and I4 and prevent saggingthereof. Straps 55 which support the lower ends of the bars 25 are alsoprovided on -the bars 93.

length does not exceed the throw of the swinging arms, and deposited inthe desired end-to-end or stacked relationship, upon the appropriateadjustment of the crank-gear relatively to its driving pinion 43 toadvance or retard the swinging movement of the exit end of the deliverybelts relative to the stemming machine with which the delivery mechanismis associated.

In Fig. 10, certain details are shown of the particular stemming machinereferred to above to illustrate the invention wherein the leaves entertip first between opposed vertical runs of the endless belts and |0|whereby they are delivered on to the rotating suction drum |02 to whichthe successive leaves adhere while their stems are seized and torn outby grippers (not shown), of the gripper drum |03. The leaves aredelivered by the suction drum to an endless conveyor belt |04 serving totransport them to the delivery belts l0 and On the belt |04 the leavesare advanced under a detector (not shown) of control mechanismillustrated in the above-mentioned Nejedly patent, whereby the link isactuated to swing the brush l2 into position to divert unstemmed andincompletely stemmed leaves.

For this purpose the arm |1| of lever 1E) extends into the proximity ofthe path of the axially displaceable pins |12 mounted in the web of thegear wheel |13 revolving on the shaft |14. Gear |13 is suitably drivenfrom the main drive of the stemming machine. A solenoid |15 has a core|15 connected to one arm of a three-arm lever |11 fulcrumed on a bracket|18. The lower arm of lever |11 is provided with an arcuate ange |19coextensive with a portion of the path of pins |12, which is normallyheld out of contact with the pins by the tension spring |80 connected tothe upper arm of the lever. Upon energization of the solenoid |15, dueto the detection of an unstemmed or partially stemmed leaf onthe` belt|04, as described in the Nejedly patent, the flange |19 of the lever isswung against the particular pin |12 then opposite it, so that it willbe displaced suiciently to engage and actuate the arm |1| when thedetected leaf has reached the brush |2. The arm 80 carrying the latteris rocked suciently to move the brush into a position which permitsdiversion of the defective leaf. A tension spring |8| suitably connectedto the linkage actuating the arm 8|] normally maintains the brush |2 inits operative position and at the same time yieldingly urges the arm |1|into the path of the axially displaced pin. The latter is returned toits initial position upon engaging a stationary cam plate |82.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a screen, of a traveling member adapted toadvance the screen horizontally, a plurality of mechanisms'receiving adesired variety of grades of stemmed tobacco to form a blend anddepositing them so that they will be deposited to assume a pairedrelationship extending transversely of the advancing screen withsuccessive pairs of leaves overlapping each other laterally.

2. The combination with means for removing the stems of tobacco leaves,of mechanism for advancing the stemmed leaves from said means, andspreading and laying them in booked relationship, said mechanismincluding a pair of endless traveling belts arranged to admittherebetween stemmed leaves from said means andcoacting to advance anddeliver the leaves edgewise, and pendant swinging members over whichdirection.

said belts are guided to provide opposed runs coacting to deliver theleaves in booked relationship and spread the same during delivery.

3. The combination with means for stemming tobacco, of deliverymechanism for receiving the stemmed leaves from said means, saidmechanism including a pair of endless traveling belts arranged to admittherebetween stemmed leaves from said means and coacting to advance anddeliver the leaves edgewise, and pendant swinging members over whichsaid belts are guided to provide opposed runs coacting to deliver theleaves, and a device for traversing said members to and fro to deliverthe leaves in a paired relationship and cause spreading of the leavesduring delivery, said device being adjustable to cause each pair ofleaves to be deposited with their tips or their butt ends adjacent eachother and their other ends remote from each other.

4. Mechanism for depositing tobacco leaves in outspread fashioncomprising a pair of endless traveling belts having opposed runsarranged to admit the leaves therebetween and coacting to advance anddeliver the leaves edgewise, and pendant swinging members over whichsaid belts are guided to provide opposedrruns coacting to deliver theleaves and spread the same during delivery. Y Y

5. Mechanism for depositing tobacco leaves in outspread fashioncomprising a pair of endless traveling belts arranged to admit tobaccoleaves therebetween and coacting to advance and deliver the leavesedgewise, pendant swinging members over which said belts are guided toprovide opposed runs coacting to deliver the leaves, and a deviceconnected to said members and swinging them to and fro in a direction tocause spreading of the'leaves during delivery.

6.v Mechanism for depositing tobacco leaves in outspread fashioncomprising a pair of endless traveling belts arranged to admit tobaccotherebetween and coacting to advance and deliver the leaves edgewise,pendant swinging members, rollers carried by said members over whichsaid belts are guided to provide opposed runs coacting to deliver thevleaves vertically, and a device connected to said members for swingingthem to and fro to spread and lay the leaves so that they willbe'deposited to assume a paired relationship having a tip-to-tiprelationship.

'1. Mechanism for depositing tobacco leaves in outspread fashioncomprising a pair of endless traveling belts arranged to admit tobaccoleaves therebetween and coacting to advance and deliver the loavesedgewise, pendant swinging members, rollers carried by said members overwhich said belts are guided to provide opposed runs coacting to deliverthe leaves vertically, and a device connected to said members forswinging them to Vand fro in properly timed relation to spread andv laythe leaves so that they will be deposited to vassume a pairedrelationship having a butt-to-butt relationship.

8. Mechanism for depositing tobacco leaves in outspread fashion,comprising a pair of endless traveling belts arranged to admit tobaccoleaves tip i'lrst therebetween and coacting to advance and deliver theleaves edgewise, pendant swinging members, rollers carried by saidmembers over which said belts are guided to provide opposed runscoacting to deliver the leaves vertically, and a device connected tosaid members for swinging them to and fro to spread and lay the leaveswith their tips pointing in the same 9. Mechanism for depositing tobaccoleaves-in outspread fashion, comprising a pairfof `endless travelingbelts arranged to admit tobacco therebetween and coacting to advance anddeliverthe leaves edgewise, pendant swinging members, rollers carried bysaid members over which said belts are guided to provide opposed runscoacting to deliver the leaves vertically, and a device con-.

nected to said members and swinging them to and fro in properly timedrelation to spread and lay the leaves in booked relationship.

'10. 'Ihe combination with an endless traveling member arranged toreceive stemmed leaves from a stemming machine and advance the same, andmechanism for swinging said member to and fro to deliver the stemmedleaves in outspread condition.

11. The combination with an endless traveling memberarranged to receivestemmed leaves from astemming machine and advance the same, andmechanism for-swinging said member to and fro to deliver the stemmedleaves in outspread condition, said mechanism being adjustable toadvance or retard the swinging movement of said member relative to saidmachine and thereby deliver leaves of various lengths in a predeterminedrelationship.

12. Mechanism for depositing tobacco leaves in outspread fashion,comprising a pair of endless traveling belts arranged to admit tobaccoleaves therebetween and coacting to advance and deliver the leavesedgewise, pendant swinging members over which said belts are guided toprovide runs coacting to deliver the leaves, and a device connected tosaid members for swinging them to and fro in a direction to causespreading of the leaves during delivery, said device being adjustable toadvance or delay the swinging movement of said members and therebydeliver leaves of various lengths in a predetermined relationship.

13. The combination with an endless traveling member arranged to receivetobacco leaves and advance and deliver them edgewise, of a device fortraversing said member to and fro in a direction to cause spreading orthe leaves during delivery.

14. The combination with means for delivering stemmed tobacco leaves, ofa revolving roll, and mechanism for swinging said roll away from itsoperative position to cause diversion of imperfectly stemmed leaves awayfrom said means.

15. In a stemming machine, the combination with a plurality of leafblending screens, of a continuously traveling conveyor adapted todetachably support in a substantially continuous series a plurality ofthe leaf blending screens and advance the same horizontally of astripped leaf delivering means extending transversely of the directionof movement of said screens, said means including traveling conveyorbelts moving transversely of said screens for delivering the strippedleaves on to said screens with their lengths extending transverselythereof during the continued movement of the screens.

16. In a stemming machine, the combination with means for continuouslyadvancing stemmed tobacco leaves endwise in an outspread condition, ofopposed members arranged to admit the stemmed leaves endwisetherebetween while they are being continuously advanced by said meansand coacting to grip and advance said leaves and deposit them inoutspread condition.

17. In a stemming machine, the combination with means for continuouslyadvancingstemmed tobacco leaves endwise in an outspread condition,\of'opposed members arranged toadmit the stemmed leaves endwisetherebetween while they are being continuously advanced by said meansand coacting to grip and advance said leaves and deposit them inoutspread condition, and a device for actuating said members to depositsaid leaves in booked relationship.

18. In a stemming machine, the combination with means for continuouslyadvancing stemmed tobacco leaves endwise in an outspread condition, ofopposed members arranged to admit the stemmed leaves endwisetherebetween while they are being continuously advanced by said meansand coacting to grip and advance said leaves and deposit them inoutspread condition, and a device for actuating said members to depositthe leaves in a paired relationship.

19. In a stemming machine, the combination with means for continuouslyadvancing stemmed tobacco leaves endwise in an outspread condition,

.of opposed members arranged to admit the stemmed leavesendwise-therebetween while they are being continuously advanced by saidmeans and coacting to grip and advance said leaves and deposit them inoutspread condition, and a device for actuating said members to ydepositthe leaves in a paired relationship, with the `leaves of each pairoverlapping at one end and remote from each other at their other ends.

20. In a stemming machine, the combination with means for continuouslyadvancing stemmed tobacco leaves endwise in an outspread condition, ofopposed members arranged to admit the stemmed leaves endwisetherebetween while they are being continuously advanced by said meansand coacting to grip and advance said leaves and deposit them inoutspread condition, and a device for actuating said members to depositthe leaves'in a paired relationship, with the leaves of eachpairoverlapping at one end and remote from each other at their other ends,said device being adjustable to deposit the leaves of each pair withtheir butt ends overlapping or their tip ends overlapping.

21. The combination with a screen, of a traveling member adapted toadvance the screen horizontally, a plurality of mechanisms for receivingstemmed tobacco leaves in outspread condition and laying them outspreadin a paired relationship on said screen and extending transverselythereof with similar ends overlapping.

22. The combination with a screen, of a traveling member for advancingsaid screen'horizontally, and opposed members arranged to admit thestemmed leaves endwise therebetween while they are being advanced bysaid means and coacting to grip and advance said leaves and deposit themin outspread condition on said screen extending transversely Athereofand in laterally overlapping relationship thereon.

23. The combination with means for stemming tobacco leaves, of opposedtraveling members arranged to grip the stemmed leaves therebetween andadvance them endwise and deposit them in outspread booked relationship.

24. In a stemming machine, the combination with mechanism for deliveringstemmed tobacco leaves, of means operating to advance stemmed tobaccoleaves edgewise into said mechanism, and a device for bodily moving saidmeans away from operative'position to cause diversion of imperfectlystemmed leaves away from said mechanism.

RUPERT E. RUNDELL.

